Brief Garden-Bevis Bawa

A visit to Brief Garden, owned by the late great artist, gardener and landscaper Bevis Bawa, brother of famed Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey, is a highlight of any visit to the south-west coast resort of Bentota. Bevis Bawa transformed a rubber plantation belonging to his mother into this legendary estate garden, which, although small in size, is transfigured by inviting little cloisters, nooks and hidden alcoves. Now open to the public, the house and garden played host over the years to international celebrities including famed actors Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, as well as an electic mix of well-known Sri Lankan writers and artists.